England's Gary Ballance hits a six to complete his first Test century. Photograph: Alastair Grant/AP

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6.40pm BST

Overnight thoughts

Day four proved a good deal more absorbing than most expected, then, with excellent Sri Lankan bowling in the periods immediately before and after tea bringing the result into play, before England calmly batted the possibility of a Sri Lanka win out of the equation again. Eranga and Herath bowled excellently, while Ballance's hundred bodes well for England, in the short- and long-term. We can expect a declaration overnight, though it remains doubtful whether England's attack, on this pitch, will have enough about them to skittle the tourists inside a day tomorrow. However, memories of Sri Lanka's fifth-day collapse in Cardiff three years ago might stir England and spook their opponents. Either way, this Test should be worth sticking with tomorrow.

Anyway, that's us done for the day. Thanks for all your emails. Bye.

6.33pm BST

69th over and stumps: England 267-8 (Ballance 104, Plunkett 2) And that's a hundred for Ballance, which he brings up with a magnificent, if slightly out of keeping, spank over the midwicket boundary for six, but he got hold of it cleanly and majestically. It was a fantastic shot to crown an innings of great composure and authority. One more single puts Plunkett on strike with two balls to go, and Herath himself in sight of a place on the honours board, with four well-deserved wickets. Plunkett duly drives the penultimate one down to long-on for one, and Ballance plays out the final ball. And that's that for the day. England lead by 389.

68th over: England 259-8 (Ballance 97, Plunkett 1) Ballance takes a single off Eranga's first ball, but Plunkett is allowed space by Sri Lanka's field placings to get off the mark also. Ballance tries to reach his hundred with a bit of a Hollywood shot, which ends up looking like a pretty ugly hoick on the legside. It brings him one. Eranga takes his time, pantomime villain-style, over the last delivery of the over as the clock nudges towards 6.30. Plunkett plays it out for a dot ball. One to come.

Looking ahead to the India series, it's looking unlikely that we'll be having any DRS-related talking points, as it appears India are unlikely to accept its use. Read more here.

6.24pm BST

67th over: England 256-8 (Ballance 95, Plunkett 0) The crowd are beginning to sense Ballance's century is due, and cheer as Broad gets himself off strike with a single from the first ball of Heranga's over. The volume increases as Ballance reverse sweeps confidently for four and punches a full toss down the ground for one. Before Broad is out – a straightforward caught and bowled from a miscued drive. Plunkett sees the over out - Ballance has seven minutes to reach his century.

Updated at 6.26pm BST

6.22pm BST

Wicket! Broad c and b Herath 24 (England 256-8)

A simple caught and bowled for Herath brings a useful little stand to an end

6.19pm BST

66th over: England 250-7 (Ballance 90, Broad 23) The scoreboard continues to tick over, as will-they/won't-they-declare speculation continues: Ballance pushes Eranga to mid-off for a single, Broad turns one round the corner for another, and the Yorkshire batsman then ups the ante with two boundaries, a wonderful cover drive for four and another pull on the legside that he doesn't quite get hold of but which races down to the ropes at fine leg. Ballance is now only 10 short of his hundred.

6.14pm BST

65th over: England 240-7 (Ballance 81, Broad 22) Herathdeceives Broad with his slower flight but he still manages a top-edged sweep for three. After a Ballance single, Broad also essays an expansive slog-sweep across the line to the midwicket boundary which just creeps over the ropes for four. It was a confident, clean strike to be fair. Liam Plunkett has his pads on on the balcony, which suggests a declaration may not be so imminent. Ballance, after all, is moving closer to a maiden Test hundred, though on this one I'm with Warne. Going for the win for the team matters more.

6.10pm BST

64th over: England 231-7 (Ballance 79, Broad 15) Perhaps we will get a declaration tonight. Ballance is going for it now, and cracks Eranga through extra-cover for four. Another single keeps the strike rotating, enabling Broad to have indulge himself too, driving in the air past the bowler's head to the boundary and smacking another two high away on the off-side. England's lead is now 353.

6.05pm BST

63rd over: England 220-7 (Ballance 74, Broad 9) Herath changes ends, and is given a twirl from the Pavilion End this time – not to great effect. Broad, somewhat starved of the strike since coming in, greets him with an emphatic sweep for four to the square leg boundary, and then takes a squirted single to point. Ballance gets in on the act with a confident reverse-sweep for four, and a nudged edge for three. An uncharacteristically expensive over from the spinner.

Updated at 6.05pm BST

6.01pm BST

62nd over: England 208-7 (Ballance 67, Broad 4) Eranga is brought back into the attack, and concedes a solitary single, though it might have been more if one delicious straight drive by Ballance hadn't crashed straight into the stumps at the bowler's end and another hadn't crashed straight into Pradeep's shin.

The scoreboard is saying 11 overs left, which, again, we're not going to get anywhere near completing. It's a pretty poor show really. And any notion that Sri Lanka might get to bat in the evening gloaming is surely gone.

5.56pm BST

61st over: England 208-7 (Ballance 67, Broad 3) Broad punches Pradeep square on the off-side for one, and Ballance, who's looking pretty unshiftable now, gets four more with a well-timed push to the long-off boundary. Pradeep can't quite get his length right, a couple are too wide and easy to leave on the off-side, and another wide one down the leg-side isn't gathered cleanly by Jayawardene P and a scrambled bye is taken.

Updated at 5.57pm BST

5.51pm BST

60th over: England 202-7 (Ballance 62, Broad 3) Herath continues and induces Jordan's wicket – an easy catch for Sangakkara, though that was a timely and confident innings from the No8. It's also Herath's third wicket – his has been a vital contribution to the whole mood of the day's play. Broad is off the mark with a nudge down to fine leg that brings up the 200. Another sweep brings him a single, and England's lead is 324.

5.48pm BST

Wicket! Jordan c Sangakkara b Herath 35 (England 199-7)

A slow tossed-up delivery from Herath is sent looping into the air by Jordan, and Sangakkara takes a simple catch at mid-off. That might shift things up a gear.

Chris Jordan walks off the field after being caught by Kumar Sangakkara off Rangana Herath. Photograph: Steven Paston/Action Images

Updated at 6.49pm BST

5.45pm BST

59th over: England 198-6 (Ballance 62, Jordan 35) Alastair Cook looks a lot more relaxed on the balcony now than he did in that spell before tea, when he looked like he was trying to chip away the paintwork on the railings. (Though I'm sure he wasn't, any officious stewards reading this). England's restored confidence is reflected in the running between the wickets now. Ballance adds another flicked single backward of square on the legside, Jordan dashes briskly through for another after a simple push to mid-off, and Ballance does likewise with a back-foot nudge in the same area.

Updated at 5.48pm BST

5.40pm BST

58th over: England 195-6 (Ballance 60, Jordan 34) Herath continues, and Ballance is getting on top of him a little more now and goes forward to sweep him smartly to the square leg boundary for four. A pushed single to mid-on is a further statement of this quiet assertiveness.

Updated at 5.48pm BST

5.37pm BST

57th over: England 189-6 (Ballance 54, Jordan 34) Ballance cuts Pradeep square – that's been by far his most productive area, which is why most such shots have only brought one or two, Mathews keeping a man in the deep. A slower-ball bouncer is missed by everyone, including the keeper, and brings another bye. Pradeepthen tries another appeal for leg-before against Ballance but it's pitched well outside the left-hander's leg stump. Sri Lanka have no more reviews left in any case. Might I even indulge in some fate-tempting by suggesting that a wicket might pep this game up again, for both sides?

Updated at 5.48pm BST

5.33pm BST

56th over: England 187-6 (Ballance 53, Jordan 34) A four, and a classy one too, Jordan coming forward to Herath making room and driving him emphatically through extra-cover to the boundary. A similar drive, slightly straighter on the off-side brings Jordan another single. Ballance scurries through for one too, before a sweep and a miss from Jordan prompts a rather optimistic lbw appeal from Herath, but the umpire's having none of it.

Updated at 5.48pm BST

5.29pm BST

55th over: England 181-6 (Ballance 52, Jordan 29) Sri Lanka's highest chase to win a Test is 352, but that's not to say it can't be done here – in fact this might be as good a chance as any for them to overhaul that record. In the meantime England are making batting look slightly easier again (though still not anything like as easy as on the first three days), and Ballance pulls Pradeep in front of the wicket away on the legside for one, though Jordan is then properly worked over by a short one dug into his chest by the paceman. The batsman knew little about that, and not much more about the subsequent delivery, which jagged away off his pads for a leg-bye.

Updated at 5.48pm BST

5.25pm BST

54th over: England 179-6 (Ballance 51, Jordan 29) Herath returns from the Nursery End, Ballacks flicks away a sharp turner through square leg for one, in the unfussy way in which he has gone about most of his business this afternoon. Herath's over has characteristic variations, but it's well dealt with.

Updated at 5.49pm BST

5.22pm BST

As discussed much earlier, confirmation of tomorrow's prices

Updated at 5.22pm BST

5.18pm BST

53rd over: England 178-6 (Ballance 50, Jordan 29) That's 50 for Ballance, a back-foot push through extra-cover off Pradeep taking him to a dogged half-century. It's not been that pretty, but necessary in the circumstances. The home crowd's mood is lightened further – they even make some noise – when Jordan straight-drives for four. This has been a composed and quietly assertive knock from the Test debutant too.

England now lead by 300. Time to let rip a bit more? We'll find out after this drinks break.

5.14pm BST

52nd over: England 173-6 (Ballance 49, Jordan 25) Erangagoes around the wicket at Jordan and targets him with some shorter balls, the first of which he misses badly, the second he turns around the corner for one. Ballance moves to 49 with another trademark off-cut.

"That 1st innings lead of 126 is starting to look seriously useful," reckons Janet Keyte. "Since the wicket has suddenly started providing something for the bowlers, anything over 300 is going to take some getting against a decent England attack. Please don't print this in case it jinxes them."

Well we haven't printed it. This is the digital age after all. But your sunny analysis is paraded before the world nonetheless, Janet. No pressure.

5.08pm BST

51st over: England 171-6 (Ballance 48, Jordan 24) In the commentary box, Shane Warne's reprising his familiar exhortations to England to be bolder/barelty-disguised tirades against Cook's caution. And Pradeep's back in the attack, and a loose full-ish ball wide outside off stump is squeezed down to the third man boundary for a rare, and inelegant, four. These two have now added 50.

Updated at 5.09pm BST

5.04pm BST

50th over: England 167-6 (Ballance 44, Jordan 24) Eranga tries a solo lbw appeal to one that pitched outside leg at Ballance, but it's two easy leg-byes instead. He drives well for three to the long boundary at the Nursery End too.

Sweeping up the debris of an earlier discussion, here's Pat on Kevin Costner:

Nah, Bull Durham eclipses Field of Dreams for me. Did he even have planning permission for that vanity project stadium proposal?

5.00pm BST

49th over: England 162-6 (Ballance 41, Jordan 24) The ones and twos are flowing freely enough, but there's no hitting out going on.Ballance dabs another single square on the offside off Herath, and stretches at a full toss to sweep it to square leg for one too. There's a single for Jordan as well. This is probably sensible batting from England – at the moment anyway, given what had gone before.

I'm not sure who's correct in The Great Pair Bagging debate. However, I think we can all agree that Leo Phillips jinxed Prior quite comprehensively there and now deserves to have small children pour derision on him in the street.

4.55pm BST

48th over: England 159-6 (Ballance 39, Jordan 23) Erath manages to dig one in short enough and quick enough to qualify as a genuine bouncer, but it's also a no-ball, one of two in this over. He's trying out some shorter stuff now on Jordan, which is not surprising given how confidently Jordan has been driving, before testing him with a skiddy low delivery that Jordan does well to work away before it hits his pads. It earns him a single. Ballance hacks two more singles square on the offside for one and Jordan scurries through for another too after a push to mid-off.

More tactics talk from Simon McMahon (and Steve Waugh, apparently)

Afternoon Tom. England should go for quick runs and then put Sri Lanka in for half an hour tonight. That's what I would do, and so would Steve Waugh I reckon. And we have 32 Test centuries between us.

4.48pm BST

47th over: England 153-6 (Ballance 37, Jordan 21) Herath deceives Jordan with the flight and slight turn, but the batsman's thick edge brings him a single nonetheless. The spinner is back over the wicket to Ballance, who swats him away to square leg for another one. Jordan, who continues to look confident, adds another single. The lead is now 275.

4.45pm BST

46th over: England 150-6 (Ballance 36, Jordan 19) Sri Lanka bring back Eranga, the man who started the collapse, from the Nursery End. Jordan is orthodox and correct against good-length bowling, and is able to send a well-timed push down the ground for three to bring up the 150. Then there's a REVIEW after Ballance slashes at a wide one outside off-stump. Jayawardene behind the stumps and the bowler seem pretty convinced he's nicked it - or make a show of such - but hot spot and snicko cannot detect anything decisive. The not-out decision stands. In other discussions, Michael Atherton in the commentary box is musing on whether - basically - Herath might be considered too fat to be selected were he English.

4.38pm BST

45th over: England 147-6 (Ballance 36, Jordan 16) Herath can't make up his mind whether to go over or around the wicket at Ballance – he's back around it this time, mixing up his pace and flight but it's dealt with comfortably enough. An agreeable enough maiden.

4.36pm BST

44th over: England 147-6 (Ballance 36, Jordan 16) Ballance is looking to cut square on the off-side wherever possible, and gets one down to deep backward point but Sri Lanka have fielders in place to deal with that. Jordan gets one too, before Kulasekara induces an uncertain dab-and-miss outside off-stump from Ballance with a teasing outswinger. He works away another single through midwicket next ball though. Jordan looks a bit more comfortable though, and essays his second sweetly timed cover drive for four of his innings off the last ball of the over.

4.32pm BST

43rd over: England 140-6 (Ballance 34, Jordan 11) Obligatory references to England conceding 344-1 on fourth innings in 1984 to lose the Lord's Test against the peerless West Indies. Sri Lanka also mildly humiliated England at Lord's that year, of course, having the better of a high-scoring draw that petered out in a way that this one looked like doing until a couple of hours ago. Jordan takes two off Herath, and also mistimes a leading-edge drive that goes all the way for four, but it's another over full of variety and probing from the Sri Lanka spinner.

Updated at 4.36pm BST

4.28pm BST

42nd over: England 134-6 (Ballance 34, Jordan 5) It'll be interesting to see what approach England will take now - the sort of carefree thwacking in which the lower order indulged on Friday is suddenly less of an option. Remarkably, Sri Lanka have got themselves into a position in which they can win after conceding 575-9 in the first innings. Kulasekara sends down a pretty innocuous, incident-free over, most of which is leave-able and outside off-stump, which Ballance duly leaves.

4.24pm BST

41st over: England 134-6 (Ballance 34, Jordan 5) Herath continues, and finds a leading edge off Balance, who squirts himself an unconvincing single. Jordan decides to go down the pitch a bit to the spinner and drives down the ground for one. Herath reverts to bowling from over the wicket at Ballance, but overpitches slightly and enables the batsman to drive down the pitch for another single.

4.21pm BST

40th over: England 131-6 (Ballance 32, Jordan 4) Ballance cuts Kulasekara authoritatively for four through backward point for a timely boundary, and adds another flicked single. "So, the most boring Test match in years is turning into a bit of a contest. Don't get that often in your short-form biff," Tweets my esteemed colleague Kevin Mitchell.

4.17pm BST

39th over: England 126-6 (Ballance 27, Jordan 4) Herath tosses it up a little more as he comes round the wicket to Ballance, and slants a beauty across the left-hander, beating him all ends up as it drifts down the slope. The batsman smothers the next one more effectively though, flicking it away to midwicket for a single.

Updated at 4.17pm BST

4.13pm BST

38th over: England 125-6 (Ballance 26, Jordan 4) Kulasekara returns. It's not been his type of match, particularly, but he strikes with his second ball as Prior tries to drive off the back foot and cracks it straight to Thirminanne in the gully. Another big-hitting option disappears. In comes Jordan, who greets another fullish one outside off-stump with a sumptious cover drive to get off the mark for four. There's runs and wickets in the areas in which Kulasekara's bowling.

Updated at 4.14pm BST

4.09pm BST

Wicket! Prior c Thirimanne b Kulasekara 16

And now Prior's out. A straightforward catch to gully

4.07pm BST

37th over: England 121-5 (Prior 16, Ballance 26). Herath resumes. Ballance dabs one behind square on the offside for a single. There's plenty of variety, which includes in this over a slightly loose full-toss that Prior punches behind him on the legside for two. He also drives forcefully through the covers, but only for a single.

4.02pm BST

Clearing up - or prolonging, who knows? – the debate about Matt Prior initiated by Dan, who's now left, here comes Leo Phillips:

Sorry, Tom, to rejoinder the rejoinder, especially as the last grauniad chap has now done a runner... but it is tremendously unfair to bring in the 'bagging a pair' expression when the batsman in question was totally and completely exonerated - by being given not out, and then managed to score a vital few, in the first innings.

Exonerated certainly, though I don't think Dan was implying he should have been given out, more that he's had uncertain starts both times. Anyway, I've got no desire to be frogmarched outside the pub to settle this one in the car park. I'll try to start my own spats.

3.56pm BST

Afternoon everyone

Well now we've got a game. I was half-expecting covering this session to be a bit of a tough sell, with England batting aimlessly towards an aimlessly large lead and an aimless declaration, setting up Sri Lanka to sedately see the game out tomorrow to its seemingly pre-destined draw. I feared I might lose you all to Switzerland v Ecuador, but no, this match suddenly looks like it could have a winner. It may yet be England, despite the dominance of Sri Lanka's bowlers in the last session, if they can somehow belt their way to a lead of 350+, which is possible given the impressively lusty hitting of the tail-enders first time round. Bowling Sri Lanka out may be more of a problem, however. But this is intriguingly set up now.

3.48pm BST

Tea

That's tea then. A good session for the game's prospects of not being a draw. Before I hand you over to Tom Davies for the evening session, time for a quick rejoinder to Leo Phillips who asks "Have you lost the plot? 'Prior is incredibly lucky not to have bagged a pair'?" Erm, no Leo. He's survived the tightest of LBW decisions on a big fat zero in each innings, with both of them being "umpire's call" by a fraction of an inch. A different umpire and he could have been given both times, and DRS would have upheld it.

36th over: England 117-5 (Prior 13, Ballance 25) Just about time for one more over before tea and Eranga returns to bowl it and, after the success of the tactic in the first innings, he comes around the wicket to deploy the short stuff at Prior. There's a bit of variable bounce but Prior keeps well out of danger easily enough. Eranga tries coming over the wicket for the last two balls and the last ball before tea is too short, too wide, and pulled from outside off, over mid-on for four.

3.39pm BST

35th over: England 113-5 (Prior 9, Ballance 25) Herath to bowl what might be the last over before tea. Prior works the first ball for a single. If Herath can prise Ballance out here then Sri Lanka will fancy their chances. Oh runs! Actual runs for Gary Ballance as he goes forward to a fuller one and paddle sweeps it for a couple. Then a very bizarre shot as Ballance looks to block but turns his bat in doing so and the ball bobbles out into the on-side.

3.36pm BST

34th over: England 110-5 (Prior 8, Ballance 23) Prior lashes a good looking front foot cover drive, that's disappointingly very well stopped. They get a single from it though and Ballance is back on strike. No run. This is stodgier than muesli.

3.31pm BST

33rd over: England 109-5 (Prior 7, Ballance 23) The fact that Herath is getting something out of this pitch is potentially bad news for England, who may have to bowl Sri Lanka out to save the match unless they can build a partnership here; it could be that they come to rue not having a specialist spinner in the side. A single to Prior and that's the over.

3.29pm BST

32nd over: England 108-5 (Prior 6, Ballance 23) Prior is looking busy here. He's trying to work the ball around and run singles, just to make sure England don't get bogged down. Ballance is looking stodgy though; he's now not scored a run for four overs and the pressure tells as he looks to cut one that's far too close to his body, lucky to miss it. Make that five overs without scoring for the Yorkshireman.

3.24pm BST

31st over: England 107-5 (Prior 5, Ballance 23) Prior guides the first ball of the over calmly, expertly through mid-on for a couple to get off the mark, then sweeps from well outside off around to fine leg for three more. Ballance smothers the rest of the over.

3.21pm BST

30th over: England 102-5 (Prior 0, Ballance 23) That was quite magnificent bowling from the wily Herath; Prior is incredibly lucky not to have bagged a pair and Ali has egg on his face. Ballance is being pushed even deeper than usual back in his crease here, to the point that he's in danger of smacking his stumps with his backlift. He's also been rendered strokeless and it's another maiden.

Updated at 3.25pm BST

3.17pm BST

29th over: England 102-5 (Prior 0, Ballance 23) Well. I imagine Moeen is going to feel a little bit silly after that show of defiance was brought to such an abrupt end. The gap between bat and pad there was absolutely immense as Ali reached for it. You have to give credit to Herath for the flight he got there. Oh and now a shout for lbw against Prior, given not out but we'll review. I reckon he's just outside the line of off-stump, or it'll at least be umpire's call. He hasn't hit this. Oh that's incredibly close! It's umpire's call but once again Prior survives the review by the tightest of margins and is not out. That's weird because on the HotSpot replay you could see off-stump.

3.12pm BST

Wicket! Ali b Herath 4

Oh! Ali lofted his first ball back over the bowler's head for a lovely one-bounce four, beautifully arrogant. Herath responds by pitching it into the rough and turning it through a huge gap between bat and pad straight into middle and leg! This game is on!

3.09pm BST

28th over: England 98-4 (Ali 0, Ballance 23) England's lead is 220, by no means insurmountable, and Sri Lanka have their tails up. Pradeep got Ballance in the first innings, inducing a wafty drive, but he's still looking to cut and drive here. He can't get anything away though and it's a maiden.

3.06pm BST

27th over: England 98-4 (Ali 0, Ballance 23) Herath flights one outside Root's off stump and the batsman does well to use his feet and then push it to cover for one. Herath then overpitches to Ballance and gets driven to deep extra cover for three more. England haven't gone into their shells, but you get the sense they've just slowed their ambition from earlier. And now that wicket is going to slow it even more.

3.04pm BST

Wicket! Root lbw b Herath 15

Ah. A full delivery, pitches on middle and off, straightens and Root is miles back in his crease when he should be playing forward. Who'd have thought? That was plumb.

3.00pm BST

26th over: England 94-3 (Root 14, Ballance 20) Nuwan Pradeep comes back into the attack for Eranga, who went for a few in his last over, and immediately gets it past Root's attempted drive. Root responds by working it to deep mid-on for a couple, then he misses out on a wild full toss as he swings it straight to the man at fine leg and is kept to one.

2.55pm BST

25th over: England 91-3 (Root 11, Ballance 20) Herath to Ballance and he's aiming into the rough from over the wicket. Ballance is reaching for them a bit, which is a dangerous ploy with short leg and leg slip in place. Herath drops a little short though and Ballance plunders four with a cut through cover.

2.53pm BST

24th over: England 87-3 (Root 11, Ballance 16) Eranga in for his tenth straight over and he gets one to keep low, that takes the bottom of Root's bat and bounces through to slip. Root gets off the mark with a four down to third man the next ball, guided nicely off the face of the bat between slip and gully. Three more are then pushed nicely into the gap at cover point. Ballance looks a little worried as Eranga then gets one to keep very low, the bounce becoming ever more variable as the day goes on. It's not the kind of pitch I'd like to bat on tomorrow. A lovely push through extra cover off the final ball brings Root four more runs. That was nicely timed, Bell-esque.

2.49pm BST

23rd over: England 75-3 (Root 0, Ballance 15) Kulasekara takes a break and England will face trial by spin as Herath comes on. Immediately the left-armer finds a bit of turn up the hill and hits Ballance on the pads. Oh and then for a moment it looks like Ballance has nicked one to Mahela Jayawardene at slip, but it's actually come off the hip. Hearts in mouths for England fans there – that's a great over.

2.42pm BST

22nd over: England 75-3 (Root 0, Ballance 15) Almost a fourth for Eranga here as he finds the edge of Root's bat but, with the lack of pace in the pitch, it's through to the keeper on the bounce. That's drinks.

Updated at 2.49pm BST

2.39pm BST

21st over: England 74-3 (Root 0, Ballance 14) Another good shot from Ballance, cutting a wide long hop from Kulasekara hard through point for four runs. It's good to see that he's not been cowed by Eranga's flurry of wickets and is looking to play shots still. England's lead is 196. A collapse for under 200 would actually set up a hell of a finish: Sri Lanka would go for it, England would be forced to go after wickets; we'd be almost guaranteed a result.

Familiar territory for Root, who came in at 74/3 in 1st inns. 69/3 now.

20th over: England 69-3 (Root 0, Ballance 9) The worst of this is that England have been losing wickets while looking to play watchfully. Root is the new man and England will be hoping that he can add another hundred runs or so to his double century from the first innings. Wicket maiden.

2.31pm BST

Wicket! Bell b Eranga 9

Great ball, angled in by Eranga and Bell plays on. Eranga has 3-11 and England are starting to stumble into It.

2.27pm BST

19th over: England 69-2 (Bell 9, Ballance 9) As Ballance works a single to square leg, I'm wondering whether or not it would be funny if England collapsed like a deck of cards in this session. I'm erring towards yes.

The camera's pan around the pavilion showing the members almost to a man asleep. One of them is actually asleep reading Andrew Strauss's book. This might rouse them though: a lovely cover drive from Bell that brings four of the prettiest runs going.

...and indeed last up, because that over was as interesting as Alastair Cook's autobiography.

2.19pm BST

17th over: England 63-2 (Bell 5, Ballance 8) Lovely from Ballance as he times it through point, up the hill, but it's reeled in absolutely superbly by the sweeper and they're restricted to three runs. Ballance does get four from the final ball though, which is too straight and flicked through square leg.

2.14pm BST

16th over: England 53-2 (Bell 2, Ballance 1) Ballance is off the mark with a flick off his pads to mid-wicket for a single before Robson loses his wicket. This is good stuff from Eranga, who's been much more accurate than he was in the first innings. Bell times a straight drive perfectly down the ground, but it hits the foothole and loses momentum, thus restricting him to two.

"Is it right you can get in half price today because tickets weren't sold? A friend's just texted from the Grace Gates," writes Jen Oram. I think I did read that somewhere, yes. Gary Naylor mentioned it the other day. Can you confirm Gary?

2.11pm BST

Wicket! Robson b Eranga 19

Eranga bowls full, gets one to nip back and Robson, moving across his stumps, gets an inside edge that knocks out middle and off.

2.07pm BST

15th over: England 50-1 (Robson 19, Ballance 0) Four minutes, is how long it's taken for the first "COOK RESIGN NOW" email arrived in my inbox. Which is inevitable. He's not going to do that though is he? He's in the middle of a Test match. I don't think you can blame him for getting out on the drive here, he'd hit six boundaries in his 28 and was looking to be as attacking as he could be in these conditions. Robson gets a boundary himself as a thick outside edge runs along the ground and away for four.

Incidentally Prasan Jayawardene's catch is his 151st Test dismissal, so congratulations to him on setting the Sri Lankan record.

2.03pm BST

14th over: England 46-1 (Robson 15, Ballance 0) So after another low score for Alastair Cook, Ballance comes out to the crease. The captain's record over the past 12 months is an average a shade over 25 and a top score of 72. It's an excellent wicket maiden from Eranga.

Wicket! Cook c P Jayawardene b Eranga 28

Off he trudges again. Cook drives loosely at one that was just moving away, he looked to play it straight and just got a thin edge. Umpire Reiffel doesn't seem interested at first but the captain is already on his way and, belatedly, up goes the finger.

1.57pm BST

13th over: England 46-0 (Robson 15, Cook 28) Just two runs from the over, both of which come from the final ball, which Robson turns square on the on-side.

Robert Darby emails on Kevin Costner. "Re your comment in the third over. I admit that Joe Root trying to appear tough requires quite a stretch of the imagination. However, Kevin Costner is totally unconvincing in Three Days to Kill. He has been unconvincing all his career. It started with Dances with Wolves and it has been steadily downhill since. In the interests of humanity (well the part of humanity that still watches films), he really should throw in the towel." His career high remains Robin Hood Prince of Thieves.

1.53pm BST

12th over: England 44-0 (Robson 13, Cook 28) A sixth boundary for Cook as he goes back and flicks one off his pads and down the hill for four through square leg. Eranga responds with a big booming wide outside off. We've seen quite a few wides for a Test match so far. Prior to the boundary, Robson took a single and Cook emulated that after it. One more single to Robson makes eight from the over. England have started well after lunch.

1.47pm BST

11th over: England 36-0 (Robson 11, Cook 23) Evidently it was just one over of spin before lunch as Kulasekara returns. The camera finally cuts to KP in the crowd with his best bud Piers "Piers effing Morgan" Morgan. Ooh and then Cook gets a life as he gets a thick edge to a good, swinging delivery that flies low between keeper and slip. It's Prasana Jayawardene's catch really as it didn't carry to Sangakkara at slip. Cook punishes him when the bowler drops short and he pulls meatily through mid-wicket for four. Good over for England.

1.43pm BST

10th over: England 27-0 (Robson 10, Cook 15) Right, England have every chance of leading by 400 at the close if they choose to go for their shots. We're already five overs behind schedule for the day, by the way, which makes 16 overall allowing for the innings changeovers. Eranga is the bowler and Cook will be looking cautiously at the pitch after watching one shoot very low past his off stump, bobbling through to the keeper. There's a muted appeal for a strangle down the leg-side, but it was off the pad. Cook plays out a maiden.

1.38pm BST

We're back.

1.01pm BST

Lunch

England lead by 149 having seen the session out sans incident. Lunch for them means lunch for me too. I'll see you in 40mins for the afternoon session.

1.00pm BST

9th over: England 27-0 (Robson 10, Cook 15) Sound the Obligatory Over Of Spin Before Lunch klaxon; here's Herath for what I would expect is the last over of the session. In fact it seems that Sri Lanka are insistent it will be as Mathews takes his time to set an attacking field with a slip and a gully in place. Cook takes them out of play by getting outside the line of off-stump, but as Mathews notices the ball turning out of the rough he brings a leg-slip in. No worries as Cook works three to deep mid-on from the antepenultimate ball and Robson sees out the last two.

12.56pm BST

8th over: England 24-0 (Robson 10, Cook 12) Eranga continues. Both sides are playing for lunch now as he keeps it wide outside off stump. The final ball is tighter, but it's well blocked and it means a second maiden on the bounce.

12.53pm BST

7th over: England 24-0 (Robson 10, Cook 12) An over so uneventful I forgot it was happening as it progressed.

12.49pm BST

On the scorecard: yes, we know that Joe Root and Jimmy Anderson's innings in England's first aren't showing. Unfortunately
I hate Joe Root and deleted his double hundred out of spite
it's an external feed thing and I can't control it.

12.48pm BST

6th over: England 24-0 (Robson 10, Cook 12) Once again England are ticking along at more than four-an-over. The impressive thing about Robson is how well he watches the ball, which is why it was so surprising to see him out playing a wafty drive away from his body in the first innings. Eranga is on for Pradeep now, I wonder if Pradeep's shoulder is giving him some trouble after being hit by Jordan. It's a good over from Pradeep, with just a leg-bye from it.

12.44pm BST

5th over: England 23-0 (Robson 10, Cook 12) Could it be that England's openers are going to adopt contrasting roles here? Robson the accumulator, Cook the dasher? That would be a hell of a turn up. Robson gets his first boundary in international cricket as Kulasekara's delivery falls down the slope and gets turned around to the fine leg boundary.

12.40pm BST

4th over: England 17-0 (Robson 4, Cook 12) The plan, I would imagine, is for these two to get through to lunch and then have a think about whether or not going for the win is a possibility. It is, obviously, but I'm not sure Alastair Cook will think that way. Robson pushes one off his pads to deep mid-wicket for three runs. Cook then goes for a drive that squirts away for four to backward point; it's not that convincing and the bat was miles from his body. Four more to Cook from the final ball, far more convincingly, as he leans into a nice drive through cover, timing it right out of the sweet spot of the bat. Cook dealing entirely in boundaries so far.

"I wish England would send Broad or Prior in to open with Cook," write the oh-so-optimistic Chris and Kate Evans. "Robson is understandably going to be worried about his average and won't try to go at 5 an over. This could be like Trott and Compton last year." I don't know, I think that demoting Robson now would be far, far worse for his confidence. Look at how far Simon Kerrigan has regressed after so little faith was shown in him last year.

12.35pm BST

3rd over: England 5-0 (Robson 1, Cook 4) Which of the following is less convincing: Kevin Costner as a total badass who hunts, shoots and blows up terrorists in a film that's called Three Days to Kill, or Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Joe Root's tough guy, arms crossed poses for their video profile things? Back to the cricket, where it's fair to say England aren't going to have a thrash here, Cook is struggling a touch it seems with the ball pitched up and moving away from him down the slope. He gets four runs with a delicate dab though, between slip and gully, when Kulasekara drops a touch too short.

12.31pm BST

2nd over: England 1-0 (Robson 1, Cook 0) Nuwan Pradeep looks fine to bowl then, having taken a blow to the shoulder in getting out. In other news, Eoin Morgan has just hit a brilliant 191 for Middlesex at Trent Bridge, which isn't exactly the easiest place in the world to bat against a good attack containing Harry Gurney and Peter Siddle. Robson plays out a maiden here, with Pradeep bowling a good consistent line outside off-stump.

12.27pm BST

1st over: England 1-0 (Robson 1, Cook 0) England resume then with a lead of 122, Kulasekara to bowl to Robson. That's mildly interesting, the two openers have swapped around. There's a spot of rain in the air too. This match is by no means dead: remember Adelaide, remember Cardiff. Robson gets off the mark with a whip to square leg as Kulasekara strays on to his pads and thus doubles his Test average. Kulasekara, who looks to have found marginally more zip than he did in the first innings, gets a touch of movement away from the left-hander Cook.

@DanLucas86 England should declare at 5.30pm today with a lead of 320. England will declare at 12.00pm tomorrow with a lead of 350.

That last wicket was hilarious. Anyway, the Sri Lankan players are out in a Michael Vaughan-approved huddle.

12.14pm BST

Right, how will England approach this? Try to set a target and give us a thrilling finish? We'll find out in ten minutes or so.

12.13pm BST

Wicket! Pradeep hit wicket b Jordan 4; Sri Lanka 453 all out.

Pradeep wears one on the shoulder, falls around and plants his bat directly on to his stumps.

12.09pm BST

138th over: Sri Lanka 449-9 (Eranga 5, Pradeep 0) Eranga is happy to just swing wildly at Plunkett now and when the Yorkshire bowler comes around the wicket they get four leg-byes off the pad. On Sky, Andrew Strauss reckons that high-scoring pitches like this are OK as long as it later deteriorates and makes life easier for the bowlers, "like at Adelaide." It's too late to be getting your excuses in for that one now, Andrew.

12.05pm BST

137th over: Sri Lanka 443-9 (Eranga 3, Pradeep 0) Anderson continues and now he's pitching it up, and indeed finding a hint of swing even with a 57-over-old ball. Well for two balls anyway, then a back-of-a-length one has Eranga swaying out the way, as does the ensuing bouncer. It's worth getting Jordan on for Jimmy I reckon; full and straight is the way to go as Plunkett showed. A single to square leg ends the over.

12.02pm BST

136th over: Sri Lanka 442-9 (Eranga 2, Pradeep 0) That is the 100th century scored against England at Lord's. Which, when you think about it, doesn't really mean a lot at all. Anywho, time for a change in the bowling for the first time this morning as Plunkett comes on for Broad and after Eranga takes a single, a good yorker reaps its rewards. Pradeep, average 5.83 and with a top score of 17, is the number 11. It's going to be one of those Tino Best/Ashton Agar innings, isn't it? Plunkett is bowling a good length, at off-stump at good pace, which is much more like it. Pradeep prods and misses at his first ball, then blocks the second.

11.57am BST

Wicket!

Umpire's call and the captain goes for a fine, fine 102. A hundred in his first ever innings at Lord's.

11.56am BST

He's not hit it, the ball hitting both pads. It might be going down leg side but given it was given out, it's a hugely optimistic review.

11.56am BST

Wicket? Mathews lbw Plunkett 102

Yorker fired in and given out, but reviewed immediately.

11.53am BST

135th over: Sri Lanka 441-8 (Eranga 1, Mathews 102) A short and wide delivery from Anderson is punched to point but Mathews turns down the run. Two balls then and will Mathews go for the big shot? You can understand why England are having these reshuffles on the fourth ball of every over, but it means that we're going at around 11 overs an hour. Mathews looks to cream one through the covers but it's a bump ball to short extra cover. The final ball though is a wide full toss and Mathews creams it through mid-off to complete a quite excellent hundred. Well played to him.

11.48am BST

134th over: Sri Lanka 437-8 (Eranga 1, Mathews 98) Mathews average as captain is now up above 92, which is impressive albeit from only eight matches, compared to 39 as a member of the rank and file. That's the biggest difference of anyone in world cricket, apparently. Eranga gets off the mark with a nudge down to deep fine leg before Mathews pushes a single to cover to move on to 98. Eranga sees out the final two balls.

11.43am BST

133rd over: Sri Lanka 435-8 (Eranga 0, Mathews 97) Shane Warne has suggested, looking at an old picture of Bob Willis, that he belongs in an 80s metal band... "like REO Speedwagon." Mathews pulls a short one towards the rope but doesn't take any runs. This is awful. It's a little surprising that Mathews doesn't have more faith in Eranga, who does have a first-class hundred to his name. Four runs here as Anderson goes full and Mathews, feet in concrete, whips him to cow corner for four. Anderson follows up with a very, very wide ball that Mathews swishes at, looking for the hundred, and misses.

11.39am BST

132nd over: Sri Lanka 431-8 (Eranga 0, Mathews 93) Hello folks, sorry about that. After Herath had his middle stump eviscerated, Eranga walked to the crease as the new batsman. Alastair Cook is having a conference with his bowler before the fourth ball of each over in order to ascertain how to get the maximum number of deliveries at Eranga. Broad responds by sending down a big full toss that's hammered away for just a single. Eranga sees the over out.

11.31am BST

Wicket! Herath b Anderson 2 Sri Lanka 430-8

Daniel Harris, sat next to me, has a TV feed that's still working and he tells me Herath has been bowled neck and crop.

11.30am BST

131st over: Sri Lanka 429-7 (Mathews 91, Herath 2) Shane Warne and Nasser Hussain are into the commentary box on Sky; I guess that at least their analysis of England's tactics this morning should be fun. And now my feed has frozen.

130th over: Sri Lanka 429-7 (Mathews 91, Herath 2) Broad comes around the wicket and spears in a yorker that splays Herath's stumps. Or sends down a short one that's fended away. Guess which it was. Herath turns a single to square leg. He's batted perfectly well so far, Herath, but it's been so easy for him. Another short ball is hooked away for one by Mathews. There's half a chance as the final ball catches the shoulder of Herath's bat but it loops up into empty space on the off-side.

11.22am BST

129th over: Sri Lanka 427-7 (Mathews 90, Herath 1) "What is with England's ludicrous bowling tactics against tailenders? Stop bowling short all the bloody time and pitch it up on off stump," writes Kevin Wilson. Kevin won't be impressed with this over from Anderson, which is persistently short to Mathews. Weirdly, there are now two slips in place in a more conventional set-up, but Anderson refuses to pitch it up until the final ball, which completes a maiden as it sails through to the keeper.

11.19am BST

128th over: Sri Lanka 427-7 (Mathews 90, Herath 1) A short one down the leg side from Broad is hooked around the corner by Perera. Thereafter, Mathews enters stalemate mode and declines every single offered until the penultimate ball. Broad sends down a ninth straight short ball to Perera to end the over and your OBOer regrets praising England's inventiveness earlier. Over the first three days we lost 15 overs through slow over rates and it's no wonder the ground is half empty at the moment. The way the England spectators are being treated is truly pathetic.

11.13am BST

127th over: Sri Lanka 425-7 (Mathews 89, Herath 0) So Mathews keeps the strike against Anderson. I guess that Sri Lanka are fearful of swing and feel that Herath is capable of keeping out Broad. Another short one from Anderson, wide outside off-stump, and Mathews goes for the pull but gets a bottom edge down to Prior on the bounce. Mathews then dances down the track and has a wild swipe; it finds a thick edge and goes straight to first slip, who sadly doesn't exist, so it's four runs. And then from the final ball the exact same thing happens! Sake.

"Hi Dan." Hi, Ravi Nair. "I like your exciting scenario but fear the day will end with SL about 200 to the good and England struggling to survive tomorrow. Otherwise what's the point of being English eh?" To be honest I'll take that. It'd be nice comeuppance if England carry on playing so negatively.

Updated at 11.15am BST

11.08am BST

126th over: Sri Lanka 417-7 (Mathews 81, Herath 0) England's reticence to set an attacking field for Mathews seems a little bit negative to me, although not as negative as the fact that Broad has only the one slip for Herath. The bowler starts with a very well directed bouncer that Herath ducks rather than take on the two men out on the hook. The third ball loops up off the face of the bat as Herath goes back looking to fend, but it's wide of Robson at short leg. Herath then hooks another short one to fine leg; there's an easy single there but the batsmen decline to take it. Sigh. We finish with a sixth straight short ball and that's a maiden.

11.04am BST

125th over: Sri Lanka 417-7 (Mathews 81, Herath 0) Right, here we go. Anderson will open the bowling from the Pavilion End, with Mathews on strike. Despite the cloud cover there's only one slip in place for the Sri Lanka captain, and that in a wide fourth slip kind of position, which impresses neither Bumble nor Holding. Jimmy sends down a slow bumper that gets a bit of tennis ball bounce and Mathews hooks for two to mid-wicket. That's your lot for the over and Herath will be on strike for the next one. In looking to throw down the stumps, Anderson hits Mathews in the bum.

"What's the facial hair situation this morning?" asks Robin Hazelhurst on the pressing issue of the day. "Not yours personally, I mean the players. Because I was watching the England rugby and football matches yesterday and there was hirsuteness everywhere. I mean I'm not wanting to come over all Hadley Freeman but who invited the 1970s back? Surely Andrea Pirlo, Hashim Amla and especially Gordon Darcy have got the beard thing so sewn up that noone else should even be trying. I hope that at Lords at least they are not, for the sake of decorum." As far as I can tell it's only Prior, Plunkett, Broad and Moeen who have beards out there and only three of those are any good (sorry, Stuart). As for myself, my beard's relatively pathetic.

10.58am BST

Just time for this once again.

Bob Willis. Photograph: Guardian

10.53am BST

I don't know about you, but I cheered in the office when Sangakkara punched Joe Root through the covers to get to his hundred yesterday. What a player he is and what a likeable player at that. If you were compiling an XI of the players you like the most, he'd surely be the first name on the teamsheet and perhaps Mahela wouldn't be too far behind.

10.39am BST

Happy Fathers' Day. No matter how your day goes, you could have it worse. Not safe for work.

10.37am BST

Stuart Broad is the new Jeff Goldblum. Albeit with approximately 0.00001% of the swoon factor. "We found a way," he says when asked about the unresponsive pitch and that's fair enough. Despite having absolutely eff all in their favour yesterday, England's attack showed resilience, thought and inventiveness and were rewarded in the second half of the day with five tough, tough wickets. Resiliance, thought and inventiveness have been sorely lacking from English cricket of late, so credit is due to the bowlers and indeed to Cap'n Cook for that yesterday.

10.22am BST

Music interlude

This is lovely, isn't it?

10.17am BST

Oh hello...

Going to Lord's today. Want to see SL out 460 & ENG bat positively to a 380 lead then declare...entertain today pls, Cook's men! #lords

Well I guess this is going to stop Sky's cameramen from lingering for longer than is appropriate on attractive women in the crowd.

10.08am BST

Weather watch: once again it looks set to be cloudy and dry all day. Which means (a) good news for the bowlers and (b) I may have made a mistake wearing shorts to work.

10.06am BST

Preamble

Morning you. For all the personal feats of Joe Root, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, it looks like it will be down to the Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews to decide the fate of this match. He was unbeaten on 79 overnight and, after England's bowlers finally found some life in the pitch in yesterday's evening session, he appears to be all that stands between them and running through the tail to polish this innings off in short order.

From a neutral perspective, that is to say one that wants to see this match finish with a result one way or another, the ideal scenario for the remaining two days is as follows:

England find some reverse swing from the off and polish off the last three wickets cheaply, ideally within the first hour of play.

Alastair Cook and Sam Robson, emboldened under Peter Moores' glorious new regime, play their shots and look to score at around a run a ball.

Even if the wickets fall regularly, batting conditions are good enough and the attack innocuous enough that England can keep that run rate high and close the day around 320 ahead.

Tomorrow, Cook remembers Shane Warne's "dare to lose" mantra and shoves a declaration right in the Sky pundit's face.

Angelo Mathews spies the opportunity for a famous win and goes for the chase. Meanwhile England's attack is emboldened by the overcast conditions and goes after wickets.

One way or another, this hitherto dead Test match ends with a thrilling result.

Come on now, where am I being unrealistic? The above could all happen. Why wouldn't it happen? It's going to happen.